INTERVIEW: Eric Cantor pushes job creation agenda

HENRICO, VA (WWBT) - Henrico congressman and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is continuing his effort to push for massive spending cuts and job creation efforts in Washington and he joined NBC12's First at Four.

He also called on New York Congressman Anthony Weiner to resign.

RYAN: We're not going to dominate the interview with this, I promised you is that but Washington is buzzing with the controversy surrounding New York congressman Anthony Wiener who admitted yesterday that he sent out a lewd tweet and had a couple of inappropriate internet relationships with women. What do you think should happen as the rule of this revelation by congressman Wiener?

ERIC CANTOR: First of all, I think you have to say, look, we have a lot of really important issues that we're trying to solve in this country and up in congress. And, you know, this really isn't one of them and I would say as far as what Anthony Wiener will or won't do, you know, it truly is up to him and his constituents as far as that is going to be. Now, I don't condone his activity and I think he should resign.

RYAN: That's as far as you will take it, leave it in his own hands. You think he should do the right thing in your mind and step down?.

ERIC CANTOR: I just think he should spare us. Listen, we've all now seen for days this go on and there's too many other things really that I think the people of this country are expecting congress to do and we've got a lot of work and I just hope we can focus on what's important.

RYAN: Okay. And one of the things you think is very important is job creation. We got another disappointing jobs report, unemployment continues to hover around 9 percent. It seems like the American people are starting to get frustrated at the lack of job creation. What can you do in Washington to turn things around?

ERIC CANTOR: Ryan, clearly the economy is not growing fast enough, and too many people out of work. And that's why we in congress and in the majority have said, look, we have got to focus on how we get Washington out of the business of making it more difficult for small business to grow. We know that small businesses are the disproportionate job creators and that's why we're driving so hard in the discussions going on in Washington around the budget and the deficit to say, look, you know, Washington has got a spending problem, it doesn't have a revenue problem-we have to make sure we're creating an environment for entrepreneurs to jump back in the game and there shouldn't be any talk of raising taxes. There should be talk of trying to ease up on the regulatory policy and frankly institute a sensible regulatory policy so small businesses feel that Washington is not trying to hurt them, so that these small business people can get on about creating jobs.

RYAN: It seems that the two big tenets you mentioned here, keeping the tax rate steady or even cutting it, and reducing regulations, if you were able to put those plans into play, how quickly could jobs be created? That seems to be the really problem that folks are having is that it is taking so long.

ERIC CANTOR: I think the private sector, remember, we in America have become who we are because of a burgeoning private sector. What it needs right now if is stability and certainty. That's what we can do. If we can solve the fiscal issues once and for all in all Washington, put out a proper practice together to manage the debt, we could do things like bring up trade bills. Even the Obama administration has said if you bring up the South Korean trade bills, you can create 1500 jobs in a month's time. I think there are things we can get going just by demonstrating we're committed to getting a private sector that will grow again.

RYAM: You have a very lengthy plan and we'll post that on DecisionVirginia.com. Congressman, we appreciate you being here.

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